New Year, New Future?
by Jojo78
Summary: What will the New Year bring to the former partners? When Marshall has a family crisis, who will he trust? Does he and Abigail have a chance to still have a future together? Where does Mary fit into all of this? Will she be able to finally get her happy ending? (Disclaimer: I don't own In Plain Sight) M&M always!
1. Chapter 1

**This was meant to be posted after Xmas/before New Years, but alas, RL had me by the neck and it wasn't finished yet. I'll probably have time to post once a week unless I have more time during the week. Please enjoy!**

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 **December 29, 2014...2am**

"Hello", she croaked into the phone, still half asleep as she tried to will herself awake.

There was a pause before the caller asked, "Mary?"

"Yeah, who's this?" she asked in a low growl, it was like waking a bear from hibernation.

"Mary Shannon?"

"Yes!" Mary sat up and rubbed her eyes to clear the remnants of sleep, her marshal training had her trying to remember the voice. It wasn't any of their witnesses, she was sure of that. None of the office employees either.

Another long pause, "I-is...do…I…Marshall?"

Mary finally realized that there was some static on the phone line, "Marshall? What about Marshall? Did something happen to him? Hello!"

More silence.

"Answer me!" she jumped up and started for her closet, pulling out jeans and a sweater. She held the phone between shoulder and ear, "Hello!" She didn't want to panic, but why would they call about Marshall if something bad hadn't happened.

"Yeah, still here, sorry about that. The hospital has terrible reception," said the person on the line, now she realized through her near panic that it was a man's voice.

"What happened to Marshall? What hospital is he in? Is he okay?" she demanded as she fell back on her bed trying to pull up her jeans, the phone fell away onto the bed and she scrambled around, reaching for it before placing it back on her ear.

"Nothing happened to him…" he was cut off.

" _Oh God_ , did something happen to Abigail? Is she okay?" she asked as she reached for the sweater and tried to pull it over her head and keep the phone pressed to her ear. She knew how much it would affect Marshall if he lost his fiancée; she felt a pang in her heart at the fizzle of pleasure she felt.

"It's not Abigail either," the voice said in exasperation, "If you'd let me fi…"

" _Jesus_! What the hell is this? This better not be a freaking joke…" she stopped struggling with her clothes and sat on the edge of her bed, running shaky fingers through her hair. The thought that something bad could happen or could've happened to Marshall left her on edge.

"If you'd let me _finish_ , I would be able to tell you. How the hell did my brother end up with a grouch like you as a partner? He's definitely good for sainthood," the man grumbled before saying, "My _brother_ gave us your number in case of an emergency…and no, nothing's wrong with him or Abigail. Its…its…*sniff*…It's our mother."

Mary sat up straight and her heart ached as she thought the worst, whispering, "What's wrong with your mother?"

She knew how much Marshall loved his mother and how close he was to her, she also knew that if something happened to Mrs. Mann and he wasn't around, he would never forgive himself and he'd feel guilty for not being there.

"She…uh…*clear throat*…collapsed and she's unresponsive in the ICU at Texas General," Marshall's brother explained.

She frowned as she lay back on her bed, confused as to why Marshall's brother would call her and not her former partner, "This is going to sound insensitive, but why'd you call me and not your brother?"

"We've been trying to contact him, but his phone is either off or he's off the grid," the brother explained with an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, he's definitely off the grid," she murmured as she sat up again, "He was going into the mountains to spend New Year's weekend with his fiancée."

"Oh, is there a way…I mean, I hate to ask, but is there a way you can call or contact him? We really need him here," the brother sounded exhausted and running on fumes. She turned to the clock on her bedside table and noted the time, 2am.

She inwardly sighed sadly and murmured, "Which brother are you?"

"Oh my God, I'm so rude! I'm Andrew, but you can call me Andy," he said apologetically.

"No problem Andy, I'll find him for you and let him know," she said as she sat up again and went to check on Norah.

"Thank you so much Mary, I'm sorry about the grouch comment, you're exactly what Marshall has always raved about," the brother thanked her again before hanging up.

Mary pushed end on her cell and tucked it into her jeans pocket, she went into Norah's bedroom to check that the baby was asleep and grabbed her diaper bag, feeling it up with diapers, wipes and extra sets of clothes, as soon as she was done she pulled her cell phone out again.

The phone rang on the other end a few times before a female answered, "Mary?"

"Yeah, wake up, we have a little situation," Mary said as she strolled back to her bedroom, looking for the pair of long johns that Marshall had once given her when she bitched and moaned about the cold getting through her jeans.

"I'm up, what's the situation?"

"Operation: Where the hell is Marshall?"

There was a long pause before Delia said, "I don't know where he is."

"Bullshit! You know _everything_ , this is an emergency"

"What kind of emergency?"

"His mom, she's really sick"

"Ha! Good one, I don't know where he is. I can't believe you would use something like that Mary, that's a new low, even for you. Leave the Chief alone. You know how hard he's been working to keep the office and his relationship afloat at the same time," the other woman was protesting on her end, thinking that Mary was just trying to pull a fast one on her.

"Look Delia, I'm really serious here. His brother just called to ask me to find him. Either help me if you can, or I gotta go and try to figure out where he's at, if it takes me the rest of the night and me knocking on every hotel room door…" Mary hated to beg, but she was pleading for him, just in case something did happen to his mom.

Another lengthy pause, "You swear on all that's holy to you that you're not just trying to screw around with the Chief?"

"Yes!" she rolled her eyes at the dramatic rant.

"Fine, he's in the Sandia Mountains, there are some cabins that cater to honeymooners and/or just a couple trying to rekindle something or other, not sure exactly which one though," Delia sighed heavily and Mary could hear a thud, she guessed that her partner had gone back to bed. "You better make sure he doesn't find out that I told you this!"

"Bye!" she closed her eyes, she didn't want to know how well he was spending his vacation with his fiancée, and it was enough knowing that they were together at that moment to cause her heartburn.

It hadn't been easy for her to see it, but after he had given her the 'you need to release me' speech, she had really truly seen him for what he was. Not only had he been her best friend and her rock, he had become so much more for her, without the – losing your best friend and partner veil – things all became clear to her. And now it was too late for her to voice her emotions, not that she would ever admit to feeling anything but friendship towards him. He deserved to have a happily ever after.

And with that heavy note Mary went to her closet for a thick coat, if she was going to go traipsing around in the icy New Mexico Mountains, she would gear up. With the heavy cold weather that this season had brought, she knew she would need as much warmth as she could muster.

She went back to Norah's bedroom and started to wrap her sleeping daughter in some warm clothes, the toddler didn't even wake. At a year, she was all of Mary's daughter, she was grouchy when woken up from a deep slumber, it was hard to wake her once she was out and she was loud when she needed to be heard.

She grabbed for her cell phone as soon as she finished dressing the child, after a third ring Mark picked up, "Hey, what's up?"

"I have to go somewhere, emergency…can you come get Norah?" Mary asked without preamble.

"Uh…I would, but…hmm…did you forget that I would be back in Jersey, visiting some family?" he asked gruffly, not mad at her for forgetting.

"Oh, shit! I'm sorry Mark, I totally forgot…look don't sweat it, I'll figure it out. Bye!" she didn't wait to hear another word from him; she hung up and dialed Brandi.

Brandi had moved in with Peter after the baby had been born, he had forgiven her for running off and they were as settled as Brandi could get. After a while, Mary gave up and ended the call, knowing that Brandi and Peter wouldn't be picking up. She groaned in frustration and grabbed the car seat, putting Norah in it and fastening the safety straps. The child barely moved throughout the whole ordeal.

Mary jumped into her minivan and jumped right out, went into her garage and brought the chains, she knew she would need them.

* * *

 **TBC...Will she be able to find him?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews.**

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It took about 2 hours for her to reach the tiny tucked into the side of the mountain resort in which Marshall had taken Abigail for a nice long weekend getaway. She had called various establishments on her drive down the Sandia Mountains and her credentials to get his destination. She grumbled at the thought and shook her head to get whatever mental imagine her subconscious tried to shoot her way.

She finally arrived and sat in her car, she didn't know if she should have the reception desk call him or if she should knock on his door. After a few wasted minutes, she left her vehicle and went around to get the still sleeping toddler. She unfasten the safety straps and pulled the baby into her arms, opening her coat and pulling her inside before pulling the zipper up.

Mary trudged up the hotel walkway and into the warmth of the hotel's lobby. She walked up to the front desk, "Hi, I called a few hours ago. I'm looking for Marshall Mann?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am, we cannot give personal information regarding a guest of our establishment," the hotel clerk was a tall rail thin man with a tiny lip mustache, he was white as snow with dark – full of gel – hair, slicked back away from his face. He looked down his nose at her and gave her a dismissive look.

"Look _ASSHOLE_ , I'm a US Marshal," at this she pulled out her badge and shoved it under his nose, "Now, I called in earlier and someone told me he was here. Look down at your stupid computer monitor and put your fingers on the damn keyboards. Type in Mann – with two n's – and locate Marshall."

The hotel clerk looked chagrined and rapidly put his fingers over the keyboard, typing in Marshall's name and after a minute he looked up and said, "uh…so sorry ma'am, he's in room 309. Third floor…"

She walked away without a second look, she felt Norah shift under the coat and whimper, she shushed her and the child stopped stirring. Mary sighed in relief, the last thing she needed was a cranky baby woken up way too early and then having to drive all the way home with a _crying_ cranky baby.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open on the third floor, she looked at the plaque right across from the elevator doors and followed the arrows pointing towards room 309. She crossed her fingers as she got closer to the door, she prayed and hoped that she didn't interrupt them in a compromising position.

As hard as it was to knock on that door, it took all of 10 minutes to will her knuckles to rap on the door, and she only did it when she was sure she couldn't hear anything going on inside the room.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

There was some shifting, the groan of the bed springs and a muffled, "I don't know" before the door swung open and Marshall stood there looking down in shocked surprised at Mary, dressed in smiley snowflake pajamas.

"Mare? Wh-what are you doing here? How'd you find me?" Marshall looked dumbfounded, looking out into the corridor one way then the other and shook his head, trying to clear it from sleep.

Suddenly the door was torn from his grasp and Abigail stood beside him, seething, "What are you doing here Inspector Shannon? Don't you have better things to do than to bother your _boss?_ "

Mary stepped back a foot at the accusatory questions, "Uh…no, apparently I _don't_ have anything else planned but to come interrupt Marshall. I had some extra time and decided to drive two _whole_ hours just to _bother_ him."

"Mare? What are you doing here?" Marshall asked again knowing that once Mary started ranting it would be hard to bring her down, he held Abigail's arm, preventing her from getting closer to Mary.

"I can't believe this! You truly are a bitch, why can't you leave him the hell alone?! I'm sure he asked you not to call him again," Abigail exploded.

Mary shot Marshall a hurt look, she couldn't believe that he would go and tell his fiancée about what they had spoken about out in the balcony. She looked down into her coat when Norah cried out, "Ssshh bug, give me a sec."

"Did you seriously involve your daughter in this childish little field trip? It would have been best if you had done what you had planned to do at first, given that child up for adoption," the younger woman sneered.

"Enough! Go back to bed Abigail, I'll handle Mary…go!" he pointed to the bed and stepped out into the hallway with Mary and Norah. He had gone from shock to pissed in a matter of seconds, he couldn't believe that Abigail was acting like an immature brat. He had never seen that side of her and it really opened his eyes to see what he was walking into if he married her. **_If_** _you married her?_

"I'm going to ask one last time, what are you doing here? And it better be good," Marshall warned as he held the door ajar, they could hear Abigail's muffled angry outburst.

Mary looked up at him with sad eyes, "I wouldn't have come unless it was a real emergency, I think you know me well enough to know that. At least, I hope you do."

"Well? _Is_ there an emergency? Which witness needs to relocate?" he looked over his shoulder to make sure Abigail hadn't heard the last bit, his expression didn't give away how he really felt, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"It's not a witness Marshall," Mary huffed angrily, "It's your mother."

Marshall stared at Mary and frowned, "What do you mean, it's my mother? What does my mother have to do with you coming here?"

"She's not…I mean…damn it, you should call your brother Andy," she mumbled awkwardly as she turned and started walking towards the elevators. She couldn't recall another more uncomfortable situation she'd been before, but this one topped it off. The last thing she had thought was that Abigail would shoot the messenger before listening to what she had to say.

She heard the hotel room close and she closed her eyes at the mess she had created by trying to come give him some news about his own family. She was halfway down the corridor when a hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

"Andy? You mean my brother Andrew?" Marshall asked with a frown on his face.

Mary stepped back from him and nodded, "Yeah, I guess you gave them my number for emergencies, just in case they weren't able to contact you."

"Yeah, yeah I did, sorry I never mentioned it," he ran his hands through his hair and groaned, "What's wrong with my mom?"

"I think you should call Andy or someone in your family for that information," she started walking towards the elevators but Marshall stopped her again, holding her arm so she wouldn't escape.

"I'm sorry about," he nodded towards the room and shrugged, "and about telling her what we spoke about, I know you don't like people knowing your business, even if I'm part of that business."

"Yeah well, it comes with the territory, I had one of those once upon a time," she nodded in understanding.

"How'd you do it?"

"I didn't, guess why I have this bundle of joy," she nodded down at her daughter, now fully awake.

Marshall nodded, "So, what did my brother tell you about my mother?"

"Marshall, I really think you should call your family," she didn't know how to deliver bad news to people, especially to him about his own family.

"You _are_ my family too, so tell me," he urged.

Mary looked startled up at him before shaking her head, "She's your family now."

"You'll always be my family, now can you please tell me?"

"Marshall, your mom…she uh…she collapsed and is in the ICU, when Andy called a few hours ago she still hadn't regained consciousness. _Now_ can you call your family?" Mary sounded anxious as she looked up at him.

Marshall stared at Mary and then turned running back to his room; she could hear Abigail throwing accusations at him. Mary turned and hurriedly walked to the elevators, she pushed the button and she could still hear the muffling behind the closed door. The door and the elevator doors both opened simultaneously at the same time, Mary jumped into the elevators not turning to see who had left the room.

The doors were sliding close when Abigail jumped into the elevator, causing the doors to slide open again. Mary stared at the other woman with a frown, "What the hell are you doing?"

"You know, I always knew you had a thing for Marshall. No don't worry, I didn't tell him and I won't tell him either. You're so pathetic calling him like an obsessed ex-girlfriend," Abigail had never sounded so nasty or ever said anything that wasn't ladylike. This is one side of Abigail that Mary never thought she'd see.

The doors slid open in the lobby and Abigail walked past her and towards the hotel doors, "You're an idiot! I didn't come here for my own personal reasons, you really don't deserve to know, but I came because his mother got sick and his family couldn't locate him."

Abigail stopped with a hand on the front door handle; she slowly turned around and dropped her suitcase. She ran towards the elevators, tears running down her eyes, the elevator doors slid open again and she pushed a button turning to look at Mary across the lobby and mouthed, _I'm so sorry._

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 **TBC...Well she found him and Abigail did not make it easy on her. She's definitely his family too! Is Abigail really sorry? Will it too little too late? Will Marshall forgive her for the way she treated Mary?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the review Adelled! Always a great supporter! :)**

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Mary turned before the doors closed and walked towards the front doors, turned to the hotel clerk and pointed to the suitcase, "Take that up to room 309."

She stepped out into the cold windy night and trudged back to her minivan, feeling like the world was ready to fall off her shoulders. She put a still quiet Norah, now wide awake and alert, into her car seat and buckled her in. She sat behind the steering wheel with the engine running and the heater blasting at full blast. It had taken upwards of 30 minutes to walk into the hotel, go up to talk to Marshall and then back to her vehicle and it had been as cold as the snowy mountains.

She rested her forehead on her steering wheel when she felt a thud against her passenger door, she looked up startled, imagining a deer or another vehicle had bumped into her because of the icy parking lot.

"Marshall?" she looked out the window and saw his blue eyes looking at her.

"Open the door Mare" he asked gravely.

She pushed the unlock button and waited for him to open the door, but not only did he open the door, he carried his bag in his hand and jumped into her minivan, "Let's go"

"Wait, what? What about Abigail?" she frowned at him and looked back to the hotel's entrance, thinking that maybe she was there waiting for them.

"We drove here in her car, let's go"

"Marshall…"

He cut her off, "Just go"

She didn't question him again and put the car in drive.

* * *

An hour into the drive Norah started to fuss and Marshall tried giving her a cookie to keep her entertained, but the toddler wasn't having it.

"Stop the car, I'll drive the rest of the way while you give your daughter the attention she is begging for," Marshall advised as once again Norah let a shriek out.

Mary spotted a gas station and drove out of the freeway and into the gas station. She jumped out and called, "Be right back"

Norah let out another cry, "Mama!"

"It's okay Bug, your mama will be back soon, I hope" he muttered the rest; he was surprised that Norah was still crying even though he had given her his whole undivided attention. He hadn't met a baby that didn't quiet down after he gave them his full attention.

A few minutes later, Mary joined them back in the car with two cups of coffee, "Thought we'd both need this after her relentless crying."

Marshall took it with a whiff and a smile, "Thanks"

"Lets go" Mary had settled in besides her daughter and started to murmur into the child's face.

"She doesn't like me," he said over his shoulder, looking at Mary through the rearview mirror.

Mary shrugged, "She doesn't recognize you, and you haven't been around for her to remember."

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be, life happens and you have every right to go on with yours," Mary said as she appeased her daughter.

* * *

It was way past 7am when they finally drove into Albuquerque's airport, he stopped the minivan by the departing terminals and turned the engine off. He turned around in the front seat and looked at the two blondes in the back, Mary lay her head against the car seat as the child pat her on the cheek.

"Hey Norah, you taking care of your mommy?" he asked the child, she turned to look at him and stuck her bottom lip out and her eyes filled with tears. "Shh…shh bug, you're going to wake your mama"

"Mama," she pat her mother's cheek harder and Mary flinched, "Whoa bug, no need to slap me around just yet."

When she saw the tears and the trembling lip she turned to Marshall with her eyebrows raised, "What happened?"

He shrugged, "I made her aware of my presence. Your daughter does not like me Mare"

"You just got to give her some time, I haven't met a child that doesn't fall head over heels for you," she turned back to her daughter and rubbed her tummy, "What's wrong Bug? Did uncle Marshall make you cry? Don't you like uncle Marshall?"

She only turned her face away from Marshall and shook her head.

"Aww Bug," she looked at Marshall and she shrugged, "Eh, she takes after her mother, I'm sure once she gets to know you she won't be able to let go."

"You let me go"

Mary turned and glared at him, "You asked me to…look" she turned and noted that they were at the airport, "You have to go see to your mother and make sure she's okay"

"Mare"

She slid the side door open and stepped out, he followed and rounded the minivan, he came to stand by her side and grab her arm from escaping, "Mare, I'm sorry"

"Don't be, I'm the one that should be sorry, barging in on your weekend getaway, I should've just made sure that the front desk gave you a message when you got up in the morning and…" she was rambling and Marshall stopped her lips from moving with his index finger.

"I'll always be grateful that you're the type of friend that would do exactly what you did and now I'm on my way to go see my mother and pray that she's better, and I have you to thank for that," he pulled her into a hug, which she half returned as she pushed him away and nodded towards the entrance.

"Go, call me for a ride when you get back, or not," she shrugged as she rounded her minivan and only turned long enough to give him a short wave.

* * *

 **TBC...How will he find his mother? Will she get better? What's going to happen to Abigail? Or even Mary?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry I haven't been posting regularly. Just going through RL, I lost one of my dogs last week. It hasn't been easy because I had lost one a year ago. For those concerned, they were old and ready to go. That doesn't make it easy for a pet parent when it's baby dies. RIP Sneakers!**

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 **December 30, 2014…10am**

"Mary, line 3 is on hold for you," Delia said as she walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Mary looked at Delia and then back to the blinking light on her desk phone, she put the phone between ear and shoulder as she pushed the line 3 button and continued typing her report, "This is Mary"

"Hey Mary, its Abigail," came the timid voice over the speaker, Mary frowned and almost dropped the phone; she pulled her hands from the keyboard and sat back, grabbing the phone against her ear.

"What can I do for you Detective?" Mary wouldn't give her another opportunity to start placing blames or pointing accusatory fingers at her.

There was a moment of pause, "I was thinking…uh…can we get lunch together? Today?"

"No, I'm busy"

"Come on Mary, I really want to make it up to you."

"It's _Inspector_ Shannon, remember? Look Detective, I don't know what you think you have to make up to me, but as far as I'm concerned you don't owe me anything," Mary turned to make sure to keep Delia in sight, the last thing she needed was the young inspector trying to grill her on the goings on of her personal problems with the detective.

"I was rude and inconsiderate after you were a grade A…" she was cut off.

"Bitch! Yeah, I know I am its part of my charm"

"No! Grade A friend, you're the best friend anyone would want in their lives and the things I said to you were offensive and out of bounds, I'm so sorry and…"

Mary cut her off again, "Stop…I…the only person you need to apologize is to your fiancé, now if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of something. Good bye"

She hung up and blew the frustrated breath out as she sat back again and looked for Delia, "Ahh!"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Mary looked startled up at Delia, which had snuck up on her when she had been busy cutting the detective off.

"What's wrong with you? What did the detective want?" Delia asked as she leaned a hip against Mary's desk.

"Nothing, now if you'll excuse me," she turned back to her computer and continued typing her report. _What the hell do these people want from me?_

* * *

"Son?" Marshall turned at his father's voice.

"Hey Dad, you sleep okay?"

Seth Mann looked at his son and nodded, "As best as I could considering your mother wasn't there with me."

Marshall nodded and turned to look at his sleeping mother, she had woken up before he arrived at the hospital and the hospital had ran tests to determine what had caused her to collapsed and be unconscious for so long. They had found that her blood pressure had been up too high, causing her to faint, the concussion she had received when she had fallen had kept her unconscious.

"She'll be home in no time"

"Yeah, I know, I still miss her when she's not there," Seth walked over to his son and pat his shoulder; resting his hand there he looked his son in the eyes.

"How's Abigail? We didn't ask yesterday because you know," he nodded towards his wife.

"I…she's good," Marshall didn't want to discuss the possible break up until he spoke to Abigail, but his heart wasn't into the wedding anymore, he wasn't sure if it had ever been in it. Now, after seeing her true colors and her feelings towards Mary, he couldn't really think he could make a life with the real woman he had finally realized that Abigail was.

"Have I told you what a bad liar you are, son?" Seth looked Marshall in the eye and held his blue gaze. "I know my sons, even if I was too busy working to mind you and your brothers; I know when my boys are lying."

Marshall sighed and walked away from his father, sitting by his mother's bedside, he turned back, "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"Regarding your engagement?" the older man prompted.

"That and everything in between, a few months ago I had to make a decision that didn't sit well with me, but I thought it'd work itself out," Marshall laughed harshly, he looked back at his mother and found her cerulean eyes – so much like his own – staring up at him.

"Hi, sweetheart," Beth murmured towards her husband.

Seth swiftly moved over to the other side of the bed and took his wife's hand as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed, "Hey beautiful, how'd you sleep?"

"Like a bear, I'm sure," she winked at Marshall and he awarded her his signature smile.

"Did you know that bears wake for short periods during hibernation to eat and relieve themselves?" Marshall related a fact with his usual drawl.

Beth burst out laughing, causing both men to laugh with her, "So you're saying I only woke throughout the night to eat and _relieve_ myself?"

Marshall blushed and shook his head, "No! It's just a fact. You said bear and it just….oh never mind."

He stopped explaining when he saw his parents smirk, now they were just teasing him.

"So, back to that little lie you were telling your father over there…" Beth Mann just stared at her son, she could guess and know she would be right. As much as she liked Abigail, the relationship always seemed forced for her son. Real love was never supposed to be forced, if the pieces didn't fit to perfection, it wouldn't work out in the end.

Marshall grew solemn and he knew he didn't have to explain, his mother would know, just like any mother would her child. He shrugged and ran his fingers through his already disheveled head, he hadn't been able to get to a hotel since he arrived, wanting to spend as much time as he could with his ill mother.

"Come on, son. Out with it," his father chimed in when his son wouldn't say what he wanted to say.

"Since when are you the sharing and caring type?" he grimaced and shrugged again, "Things are just getting difficult to deal with."

"Work? Being a chief tougher than you imagined?" always the stern one, Seth automatically assumed it would be work that was causing his son stress with his fiancée.

"Seth Mann, your career is not the end all of everything you know," Beth admonished.

"Mom, relax…to dad it has been the end of all," Marshall hated going there, but his father had been too busy making a career out of the Marshal service and now he knew the reasons why it was so hard to stay at home when the bad guys were still out there.

"No, my career was just a means…" he stared at Marshall trying to explain his reasoning for always being busy for them.

"Dad don't, you really don't have to explain, I know how hard it can be to be a Marshal, it's just…to me the Marshal service _was_ my end of all, then something happened and now it's my career, but not my all," Marshall growled and walked away from his parents, stopping by the door, "I'll be back in a few, need coffee."

Seth nodded and turned to look at his wife, she was glaring up at him, "What? What'd I do now?"

"You need to go talk to our boy, he's hurting and I have a bad feeling I know what it is, I wish I could be wrong this time," she sniffed as a few tears escaped.

The doting husband leaned down and kissed her nose, "As soon as Andrew gets here I'll go track down our son and have a talk with him…"

"No, you bring him to me and leave us alone, I need to talk to him," she said tersely.

"I'm his father, I think I should talk to him," he said just as tersely.

"You don't even have an idea what is going on in his head," she argued as she tried to reign in her emotions.

Seth stood up and paced the small space in the hospital room, Beth had been moved to a regular room the previous night after she had undergone a few tests to determine what had caused her to lose consciousness.

"The fact that Abigail isn't here with him when they had been together on a holiday says a lot about where his head is at, I might not be the most sensitive person…okay fine, I'm not sensitive at all, but I know my son too," he admitted when his wife gave him a pointed look, he had only been sensitive when it came to her.

"Okay, as soon as Andrew gets here…" the younger Mann chose that moment to appear and frown at the tension in the room.

"What'd I miss?" he asked as he stared at his parents and then looked around for his older sibling, "Where's Marshall?"

"He went to get coffee and now your father will go get coffee too, right honey?" Beth arched an eyebrow in question and nodded him out of the room.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'll be back in a few, I need coffee," he leaned down and pecked his wife's lips. "I love you"

"I love you more."

"Yuck you guys! Your child is still in the room," Andrew said as he mock puked all over the room.

Beth chuckled and Seth glared at their son. Andrew was a bit shorter than Marshall, but he resembled his older brother quite a bit except for his eyes, he had his father's steely gray eyes.

* * *

 **TBC...Hmm, was Mary being unreasonable? No, I don't think she was. I think she's respecting Marshall enough to keep a distance from the accusations her BF's fiancée through at her. I'm glad Seth is trying to be a father to Marshall, even when he doesn't understand him. Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks again for the reviews!**

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Marshall took a sip from his coffee as he walked about the street adjacent to the hospital, he had needed more than his usual morning cup of joe, he had also needed space and air. The air in Texas was way warmer than the air in the frigid snow of the Sandia Mountains.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps leading up to him from behind him, he didn't even have to turn, he knew it would be his father, he would recognized that determined stride anywhere.

"Was Andrew with mom before she sent you after me?" he asked without turning or stopping his steps.

Seth smiled tersely, "Yeah"

They walked in silence, each matching the other's step. Neither wanted to break the ice and talk about the elephant in the room, Marshall more than anything. His phone went off and he pulled it out of the clip on his belt, looked down and saw Delia's name flash on the LCD screen.

He pressed the button and excused himself from his father as he walked ahead of him, "This is Marshall."

"Hey Chief, just wanted to give you an update on things in the office," Delia said with her usual cheerfulness.

"Any emergencies?" he asked just in case he needed to get back.

"No, no emergencies, everything has been relatively calm here in the office. Mary went out to check on Dylan a few minutes ago, said she'd be back in an hour," she related the information, proud that she could help where she could in the office.

"Thanks Delia, keep up the good work, tell Mary to call me when she has a chance, I want to know what's going on with Dylan," he gave her a few more instructions and bid her adieu.

He turned back and his father was still standing where he had left him, he felt respected by his father and peer, the fact that he didn't try to figure out who was calling spoke volumes. His phone went off again and he picked up thinking that it was probably Delia again.

"What'd you forget Inspector Parmelee?" he asked in slight exasperation.

"Marshall," Abigail's voice sounded dejected.

Marshall closed his eyes, cursing himself for not checking his cell before picking up and turned his back to his father again, she had been the last person he wanted to speak at that moment, but he had been expecting this call since his arrival in Texas.

"What can I do for you, Detective Chaffee?" he turned on his professional demeanor.

"Marshall, please don't be like that. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I'm sorry I didn't trust that you had really put a break on your friendship with Mary. But you have to put yourself in my shoes; you've always put her first…"

"I don't want to talk about this over the phone," he cut her off brusquely as he spied his father buying himself a cup of coffee.

"How's your mother? Can I come…" she was cut off again.

"My mother's fine, I have to go," he hung up before she could ask her question of joining him and his family. At that moment, she was the last person he wanted near his family.

"How's Abigail?" his father had hit the nail on the head.

Turning back with a grimace, "She's okay."

"How are you?" he asked as he observed the emotions running across his son's face.

Marshall shrugged and raised his cup to his lips, "I'll be okay in time."

Seth started to walk and Marshall had to pick up his pace to reach his father's stride, "Remember the last time I was in Albuquerque? When I met Abigail?"

Marshall frowned and nodded, "Yeah."

"Do you remember the conversation we had?" the older man turned sideways to look at him.

His frown deepened as he looked at his father's eyes, so much like his own, "Yes, I do remember, why?"

"Is _she_ the one?" he nodded towards his cell phone.

"The one what?" Marshall was beginning to feel stupid, after having an awkward conversation with Abigail, if you could even call what they had just done a conversation, he wasn't sure what his father was asking.

"What was it I said?" he stopped walking and turned to his son.

Marshall looked at his father and tried to remember, then it was there, in his head, _"_ _The thing is, in marriage there is no guess work, and who you're there for at four in the morning, that's the one. So you've got to ask yourself, is Abigail the girl **you** always thought you'd bring home?"_

He stared at his father with understanding in his heart; he looked away from his father's prying eyes and nodded, "I didn't before. I understand now."

* * *

Seth walked into the room and went straight to his wife, kissing her cheek while whispering, "He understands."

She grinned and nodded, "I know."

"What do you know?" Andrew asked his mother.

"That I raised smart children," she smiled and winked.

Marshall walked in and smiled, "Well, I know I'm smart, I don't know about Andy over there."

"Don't call me Andy!" he grumbled as he walked over to his brother, taking the coffee from his hand before punching his arm.

"Ow, I'm telling! Mo-o-o-om, _Andy_ just punched me," Marshall mock pouted.

"Children, children stop! You're going to make me get up and hurt you both," she mocked chastised her old children.

"Boys, why don't you go home so that you can let your mother rest," Seth advised sternly as he sat beside his wife on the bed.

"You two just want alone time," it was Andrew this time that pouted at his parents.

"Come on Andrew, let's get out of here," they walked out and left the parents alone.

"So you talked to him, huh?" Beth leaned against her husband's chest and looked up at him.

"Yeah, I did, I reminded him about the conversation we had last time I was over in Abuquerque," he said as he pulled her tight against his side, "I missed you sweetheart."

She smiled at his endearment, but turned the conversation back to her son, "What conversation would that be?"

"I told him that Abigail was great, she was exactly what we had always wanted for him," he was cut off by his wife.

"Seth Michael Mann, how could you say that? _We_ don't have to be married to her, _he_ does. Of all the things you could've said…do you even _know_ how he looks up to you?" Beth Mann was not a happy camper; she would have used different words.

"If you would let me finish woman," he held up a hand in his defense, stopping any outburst coming from his wife, "I said that she was exactly what we would want for him, _but_ was she something that _he_ wanted."

Beth arched an eyebrow at him before she sighed sadly, "I just want my son to be happy, is that so hard to understand?"

"No honey," he pulled her close again and buried his face in her hair, "I want the same for our boys."

* * *

 **TBC...awww...I love writing Seth and Beth all lovey dovey. That's the kind of long lasting love that is really hard to find. If you have it, cherish it and enjoy it. XOXOXO**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reading and for the reviews!**

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Marshall walked into the house behind Andrew, he had just closed the door behind him when his cell phone went off again, with a groan he picked up, "This is Marshall."

"Hey Chief, Mary here. Delia said that you wanted to talk to me?" Mary sounded apprehensive over the phone line.

"Hey Mare, you know, you can still call me Marshall," he greeted.

There was a lengthy silence.

"Yeah I know. So, about Dylan, he..uh…was just having difficulty adjusting to his new job. He feels stupid when he knows he can do better. This job really isn't encouraging him to want to stay in the program. I'm going to…uh…try to find him something that helps him in that department," Mary knew she was rambling, but she really didn't know how to act with him anymore. She was confused all around and didn't know how to handle the emotions that her now boss evoked in her with just his voice.

Marshall sat on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair, blowing air through his mouth, "Yeah, I'm sure being an engineer turned maintenance handyman is definitely a big difference."

"Yeah, I would say. It's like either of us becoming security guards, I would definitely quit on the first day," she chuckled awkwardly.

He noticed the strained chuckle, "Mare, what's wrong? And don't say 'nothing', I know you and I know something's up. Tell me."

There was another lengthy pause, Marshall was sure Mary was still on the line, but was trying to come up with an excuse, he knew her too well. He could only picture her in the office, behind her desk, watching Delia through the corner of her eye and keeping her in eyesight.

"Marshall, I think…maybe I can…once you're back I'm going on vacation with Norah. I think I need some time off work for a week or two," she murmured quietly, for his ears only.

He sat up, elbows on his knees as he tried to read her through a single phone line, was going on vacation code for something? What the hell was going on?

"A vacation? Since when does Mary Shannon take vacation? I can easily recall the many times that Stan tried to push you out the door to go on vacation and you wouldn't want to go," Marshall tried to bait her, tried to figure an ulterior motive.

"There are just things…uh…personal things I have to deal with," she didn't want him to question her any more. She couldn't tell him her new family drama, these were the things that she usually kept close, but closer even her emotional turmoil.

"What things?" he asked softly, ever since he asked her to take a step back from their too close relationship, she had really surprised him by not only taking a step back, but completely stepping out of his life. He couldn't blame her, but he didn't want to lose her.

"Mare, I need you right now. I've never asked before, but can you please hold off on this vacation request? Please?" he knew he was begging, but if begging kept her from going on vacation, he would beg on bended knee.

Mary stood up and walked out onto the balcony when she noticed Delia glancing her way a few times before coincidentally walking closer to her with some files.

"Yeah, I guess I can wait a bit before I go on vacation. How's your mom? Is she better?" she didn't know what else to talk to him about, so she did the next best thing. She changed the subject.

"She's better," he sat back on the couch and rested his head, "High blood pressure, I guess she hadn't been taking her medication and you know the rest. By the way, my family is very grateful that you took time out of your life to come find me. I'm really glad you're my best friend."

Mary blushed and had to blink fast and look up, to keep the tears from spilling, she tried to cough but it caught in her throat. She muted her cell phone and cleared her throat again, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you would've done the same for me. Actually, you _have_ done the same for me. Look Marshall, I have to go. Duty calls."

"Mare," he stalled her.

"What?" she didn't want to be on the phone with him anymore, she could only hold herself together for so long.

"When I get back, we have to sit down and have a serious conversation," it was past the time, but there had to be a change in their relationship.

There was a short silence before she whispered, "Talk? About what?"

"About a lot of things, but mainly our lives."

"What about our lives? Can't you just tell me over the phone?" the question she had wanted to ask, can't you just tell me we can't ever be friend over the phone?

"This is too important to discuss over air time."

"Can I at least get a clue?" _damn it Marshall, if you don't want to be friends anymore, just tell me. How the hell do you expect me to wait until you get back?_

"You'll know as soon as come home, my mother will be kept overnight for observation, but her doctor believes she'll be out by tomorrow afternoon. I will make my way tomorrow night, unless there is a change," he gave her his itinerary.

"Fine!"

"One more thing Mare," he said prudently.

"What's that?" she asked petulantly.

"Don't run, because it doesn't matter how far and how fast you do it, I'll be faster," he hung up before she could reply.

Mary pulled the phone from her ear incredulously and looked down frowning, "Damn it Marshall, you know me too well."

* * *

 **TBC...Will Mary run? What's so important that he can't tell her over the phone? Will he cut ties with her?**


	7. Chapter 7

He groaned and sat up, surprised when he opened his eyes to find Andrew sitting across from him, "That Mary?"

"Yeah, she's a little…" he shrugged, he never knew what exactly, but it was something that drove him crazy. She hated emotion, yet he had seen her shed more than a few tears for her deadbeat dad.

"Intense? Passionate? So in love with you?" Andrew rattled a few suggestions with an arched eyebrow.

Marshall's heart fluttered, but he only glared at his younger brother and frowned, "You don't know what you're saying. Mary's heart belongs only to Norah."

"Is that painful? To believe that she only loves her daughter? How can you be around her when…" he raised his hands when Marshall stood up.

"Don't… ** _don't_ ** say something when you don't know anything. There's so much more about her for you to think you have her figured out by one phone call in the middle of the night," Marshall couldn't tolerate people that judged Mary and him before really getting to know their dynamic. And he had just figured out that he was the biggest fool. "I'm such an idiot."

"Yeah, you are. But remind me why again," his brother snickered.

"I'm blowing up on you for judging our friendship and I've let Abigail dictate my friendship with her. She's her worst critic, can't stand Mary. And to top this off, she made me promise to cut ties with her," he snarled.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't know she was still a sore subject around you. Why would you let anyone dictate your friends? You never let dad tell you how to live your life. How many times did he try to convince you to stop pursuing a marshal career?" his brother was on a roll, he always thought he had been oblivious to his life.

Marshall shook his head, "I don't know. Because I thought it was time I settled down and if that meant doing things I don't like, then so be it."

"That's not how it works. If you go on thinking like that, you'll have a regretful marriage. Learning to hate the woman you've promised your whole life to. My parents didn't teach us that, they have sacrificed a lot for us and for each other. Dad had a reason why he didn't want you in the marshal service, but you only thought it was because he thought you were weak," Andrew stared at his older brother. Marshall had always been the serious, by the book kid, unlike him, he was the brat that caused many a headache to their parents.

"I guess you finally grew up Andy," Marshall teased.

"It's Andrew!" he scowled.

"If it is, why'd you tell Mary she could call you Andy?" he arched an eyebrow teasingly.

"After yelling at her and being so damn rude…" he tried to explain, but was cut off.

"You yelled at Mary? What the hell's **_wrong_** with you? You wake her in the **middle** of the night and then **yell** at her?" Marshall ran his fingers through his hair as he glared at his brother.

"Well…she wouldn't let me explain and she yelled at me first," Andrew defended himself.

"Mom is going to chew you out when I tell her."

"Man, why'd you have to do that? Can't I just meet Mary in person and beg her for her forgiveness? I'd really just like her to yell at me for waking her and scaring her," he whined, he knew if his mother knew what he had done, she wouldn't rest until his ear fell off.

"Scare her? How'd you do that? Mary doesn't scare easily," Marshall was frowning again.

"When I called her I was inside the hospital, cell phones have really bad reception inside the hospital, and I guess she only heard your name and then static. She was frantic, running around, looking for clothes," Andrew related the story.

"How do you know she was looking for clothes?" he arched an eyebrow inquiringly.

"I could hear her opening and closing drawers, what else would she be doing? She sounded frantic and then yelled at me when I told her you were fine, but then was mortified when she thought it was your fiancée," Andrew was observing Marshall's facial expressions, he would only let his defenses down in front of them, but without that the brothers had always known how to read each other.

"The only other time I've seen someone come unglued like that was you, anytime she's been in the line of fire, you worry more about her than anyone else," he gave him a knowing look, he was talking about the time his father had come to Albuquerque. In for a penny, "Look Marshall, all we ask as your family is to follow your heart. I speak from experience; I almost lost Julie because I wasn't thinking with my heart. And now, you're a proud uncle of twin nephews and a niece that have asked me to bring their favorite uncle over for dinner."

Marshall stared at his brother and was surprised at how fast he could lighten the mood, "Thanks Andrew, I'll take a nap and come over for dinner. About 6pm?"

"Yeah, that sounds good, I'll get the kids rested for your visit," he smirked and waved as he left their parents' house.

* * *

 **TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for continuing to read and review my story (stories). You guys have always inspired me to write. I know last time I promised or said that I would update this story more often, but I didn't take to account that I have a busy RL and that I have been working so much OT that it feels like I moved into my office and not to mention Xmas shopping *groan*. Anyways, I hope with the new year, things will settle down at work and I can finish this story. Raye: Thanks for pushing me :) Greatly appreciated!**

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The night had been a huge success, he had been able to enjoy his nephews and niece the best he could. Playing games with them and even having time to read them a bedtime story before heading to his parents' house. He promised himself he would make more time for his family.

Marshall woke up early and got the house cleaned and dusted for when his mother was release from the hospital, thinking about his mother, he thought it was time for a one-on-one with the woman that gave him life and understood him better than any of his family members.

 **December 31, 2014 Noon**

He looked into the room and found his mother alone in bed watching a TV game show, "Hey mom, where's dad?"

"He went for coffee, and I'm glad he left and I'm happy you came before he gets back," she waved him over conspiratorially to the chair beside her bed.

"How're you feeling? Has the doctor come in to check on you?" Marshall rattled on about her health and how she needed to take better care of herself, he promised to call more often and remind her of her medication.

"Okay, okay, enough doc, I want my son here, _now_ ," she said sternly. "I'm fine, stop fussing. The nurses make their usual hourly checkup."

"Fine, just worried about you"

"I know, but I'm fine. In fact, I'm better then fine. The doctor is springing me today, I only stayed one more night just to make sure I was okay," she patted his hand and grinned.

"It's not too soon?" he asked concerned.

"Marshall, enough! If the doctor thinks I can go home, you can bet your butt I won't stay another day. The nurses are just waiting for him to get here and sign the release forms," she explained.

"Okay, I guess I'll just wait and then head back home too," he said, thinking that he was glad his mother was healthy enough to leave.

"So, how's everything?" she asked when she saw his sorrowful eyes.

"Good…"

"How's Mary?" Beth sat propped on her hospital bed, looking at her son, not beating around the bush.

Marshall stood up, leaned against the wall looking out the window, "She's fine."

"What about that little girl of hers? Norah. She must adore you, all children love you," she saw him tense and frowned, "Marshall? What's wrong sweetheart?"

"She can't stand me," he turned back to his mother and walked over to the chair next to the bed. "When Mary went to find me, I got a ride back. She cried almost the whole way back, like she was being kidnapped. She only stopped until Mary pulled into a gas station to switch seats."

Beth stared at her son with a confused expression, "But I would've thought that with Mary and you being so close, that little Norah would…what happened?"

Marshall immediately sensed the change in the room, his mother had always known how to read him. He shrugged with his head down, "I asked her for space, so that my relationship with Abigail could grow into a healthy one."

She frowned, "Explain, because we've spoken often and you have not mentioned this _space_. What kind of space?"

He rubbed his face, "I asked her to release me, release me of the promise of always being there for her. Abigail wanted…"

"You, my son, Marshall Alexander Mann, took back a promise? I thought I raised you better than that," she chided.

"You did! But…but…Abigail," he couldn't even finish, his excuses now seemed pathetic to his own ears.

"Abigail is a child that needs to grow up. Don't you think as the wife of a Marshal that I didn't want your father to take a less dangerous position? But I loved him enough to not ask him to do something that would potentially ruin our relationship. With risks, I wanted your father to be happy, not only with our marriage, family, but also in his choice of career. He's a damn good Marshal and I am glad that I never gave him an ultimatum. Not even when you were all children and I almost lost him, he wouldn't have been happy sitting behind a desk. He would've hated us," she finished heatedly.

Marshall had never felt as small as he did at that moment; he wanted to give back everything he had taken from her. But it wouldn't be easy, Mary wasn't a person you took something from and expected her to freely receive it back. If it was the last thing he did, he would go home and ask for his forgiveness on bended knee.

"Marshall?"

"I don't know how to fix it," with unshed tears he looked up at his mother.

His mother extended a hand and he rolled the chair closer to her bed, she pulled his face onto her lap and let him have a good cry. She hated to see her son hurt; patting his shaking shoulders she let him release his emotions. She looked up and saw Seth standing by the doorway, she shook her head. He didn't question her, just turned around and left them alone.

It took a few minutes, but he finally settled down and was profusely embarrassed to have cried to his mother. He couldn't even remember the last time as a child that he had ran to his mother crying. He stood up and scrubbed his face, looking anywhere in the room.

"Don't do that. Come back here, talk to me son," she raised her hand, waiting for his.

Marshall sighed deeply and came back to sit next to his mom, "I'm sorry you had to see your grown son crying."

Beth shook her head, "Who better to see her son be human. Son, I understand. You will fix it. Of all my boys, you are the one I have more faith in when it comes to the matters of the heart."

"No, Andrew has thought me a thing or two. He's a great husband and father. Those kids are something else, I need kids. Particularly one little blonde girl that hates my guts and already has me wrapped around her little fingers."

* * *

 **TBC...ooohhh, I love sensitive Marshall.**


	9. Chapter 9

**OMG! You guys don't even know how hard it's been for the muse to wake up. She's been in a coma! Anyways, I couldn't write. I blame RL. I refused to just write without the muse. It wouldn't have been a good story in my eyes. I really hope I haven't lost any readers because of how long it's been since I posted a new chapter to this story. Please enjoy.**

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 **December 31, 2014 2pm**

It had taken the doctor an hour after his arrival at the hospital to release Beth in the care of Seth and Marshall with instructions to make sure she took her medication as prescribed.

Finally at home and for the millionth time, Marshall fluffed the pillows his mother lay on. She swatted his hands away, admonishing, "Enough! The pillows are as fluff as they'll ever be. Now stop mollycoddling me."

Marshall grinned with a shrug, "I can't help it. I want you to be comfortable."

"I'm comfortable without your fussing, thank you very much. Now, can you please hand me my tablet?" she waved her hand over to the nightstand, too far for her to reach from her perch in the middle of the bed.

He reached for it and handed over to his mother then he sat on the chair by his mother's bedside. While his mother checked her social media online, he was going through his emails on his phone.

"Do you have anything specific you want me to cook for your dinner? Make it healthy too," he said as he read through some important looking emails.

Looking up when his mother didn't immediately answer him.

Beth tapped on her tablet a few times, then looked at him with a satisfied smile, "Your flight leaves in half an hour. I suggest you call a cab or your brother for a ride."

"What?" he frowned in confusion.

"You heard your mother son, your flight leaves in half an hour," Seth joined his wife on the bed, Marshall hadn't even been aware of his father anywhere near the vicinity of the bedroom.

"But…"

"No buts sweetheart, you have things to settle at home and I have your father to mollycoddle me all he wants," Beth said authoritatively, giving him no room for argument.

He looked back and forth at both his parents, "Are you sure? It _is_ New Year's Eve, we can spend it together."

"No, you can come back next year when I'm 100% again and we can have a night of celebration. Your brothers won't be over this year either, which suits me just fine. I'm not in any shape to entertain, go on. Ring in the New Year with your girl," she winked at him and shooed him away.

"I love you mom," he sat by his mother and held her close. "You're the best."

"I know. Happy New Year son," Beth pat his cheek with a soft smile.

"Happy New Year son!" Seth waved as his son left their bedroom.

* * *

 **December 31, 2014 – 5pm**

Marshall strolled out of the airport with his carry-on on one hand while holding his cell phone on the other, he raised his hand and hailed a cab. He had promised Mary to call her for a ride, but he had things to take care of before he went to see her.

He hopped into the cab, giving the cabby his address before sitting back and going through emails on his phone. He didn't look up until the cab driver stopped in front of his house, "We're here mister."

"Thanks," he pulled his wallet out, paying the tab, along with his tip.

He got off and walked up onto the porch, he knew Abigail wasn't home because her car wasn't there. It worked well with his plans. He walked in and closed the door, going straight to their bedroom and pulling his suitcases from the closet.

* * *

 **December 31, 2014 – 6pm**

Mary sat at another red light and rubbed the nape of her neck, tension residing there since she last spoke to Marshall. The pending conversation in her near future had her stressing out about the rest of her life. She wasn't much into dramatics, but she knew that this conversation would be a game changer, for both of them. Did he want to end their friendship for good? Was she not keeping her distance? She was so confused and scared. After 10 years of friendship, he was literally the only stable thing in her life, or had been.

It didn't take her long – amid all the red lights that seemed to slow her progress – she managed to roll to a stop in her driveway. Sitting behind the wheel taking a breather before summoning the strength to get out of her van – she didn't notice the car parked in front of her house.

The lights were on and she could only guess that Joanna was sitting in the living room with her granddaughter, while the child played with her blocks. That thought made her crack a small smile, her bug was the only one that could make that change in her.

With a grunt she pushed the door open, stepped into the warm house and her blood froze at what she saw. Detective Abigail Chaffee sat on the floor in the middle of her living room, holding Norah in her lap.

They both looked up as the door close shut behind her.

"Mama!" shrieked the child, holding up blocks in her hand. Her grin only showing eight little teeth.

"Mary," Abigail said with a huge smile on her face, "This little one is amazing. I can't wait for Marshall and me to have a couple of these down the road. Our kids will be best of friends. This one will be their honorary older cousin of sorts."

Mary stood there and stared at them before walking over to their side, "Hey bug, come to mama."

Abigail got up and took Norah in her arms, hugging her close before holding her towards Mary, "Go to mama little one. I can't wait for Marshall and me to start our brood. I want to give him the children he desperately wants and needs in his life."

Joanna finally appeared from the kitchen, "Oh, I thought I heard the door. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Maybe your friend can stay-"

"She was just leaving," Mary kissed Norah's chubby cheek before she hand her over to Joanna with a silent look to give them a minute.

"Mary-" Abigail was cut off.

"It's Inspector Shannon. Now, I don't appreciate you coming to my home during my personal private time. You have the Marshal's number, business hours are 9-5," she put on her poker face, hands on her hips and waited to see what the detective came up with.

"Mary, please. I want to apologize, can't you at least spare your best-friend's fiancée five minutes?" the younger woman pleaded, that had been a cop out and Mary knew it. Why would she bring her friendship with Marshall up like that? But she knew she couldn't deny her, if only because of the respect she had for her former partner, her best friend.

"Fine. You have five minutes. Don't really think you need five minutes to apologize. It's just two simple words," she looked at her watch to start the count, "You've already wasted 20 seconds."

"I-I…I love Marshall, very much," for a grown woman, she seemed like an insecure teenager trying to tell her crush how she feels.

"I'm really not sure why you're telling me this," Mary scowled at her. "The one you need to profess your love to is Marshall, not me. So, if that was your apology."

Mary left the words trail as she stepped back towards the front door.

"I'm young, I am fertile, I'm sure I won't have any problems throughout my pregnancies. Marshall wants sons, of his own flesh and blood. I wasn't sure I was ready, but now…now I think I am," she said defensively, somewhat desperately.

"Why are you telling me this? What does any of that have to do with me? Can you please just explain that?" she stared at the younger woman with confusion in her eyes. Deep down, those were Mary's faults, it had been difficult to carry Norah full term.

"Mary, you and I both know how you feel about my fiancée," she stated with a little more bravado.

"I think your five minutes are up," she crossed to the front door and opened it wide, her feelings were the last thing she wanted to think about, let alone speak them out loud.

"Ma-"

"You don't know anything about me. So don't go pretending you know things about me or my feelings, you are a kid playing at being a grown up because she speaks like a grown up," she pointed her thumb out the door. "Good bye Detective Chaffey."

"I'm going to give him the children that he wants; I'm the _only_ one that can give him that. Can you say the same about yourself?" Abigail asked vehemently, but didn't wait for an answer and walked out of her house. Never stopping to look back over her shoulder, getting in her car and driving off.

"She's wrong, you know?" Joanna spoke from behind her.

Mary was leaning her forehead on the door and turned to Joanna, "Isn't she, though?"

"A man wants more than just children, he wants to love and be loved by only one woman. Just as much as a real woman deserves love, kids do not make a marriage," she walked over to Mary and pats her shoulder, knowing how much the younger woman hated to be touched. "When it comes to matters of the heart, not just anyone will fill the void. I speak from experience."

She smiled tightly at the older woman and shrugged, "I'm going to go check on Norah."

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 **TBC...hope it was worth the wait and the time frame didn't drive anyone crazy. Mary and Abigail really needed to confront each other, there was no other way. Both have similar fears, losing Marshall. Please review if you wish :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome. Please enjoy!**

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 **December 31, 2014 8pm**

He closed the hatch on his truck and turned back to the house, but right before he crossed the threshold, he heard Abigail's car pulling into the driveway. He went into the house and gave it one last look. Apart from the furniture, which he really wasn't going to ask for, all his belongings were now in his car. That thought made him melancholy, he had fought so hard to keep the relationship afloat and in the end it had sunk faster than the titanic.

Abigail saw Marshall walk into the house, she had been happy to see him back but when he didn't really acknowledge her. She couldn't shake that things were still pretty bad. She knew things would be bad, she had accused his best-friend of trying to sabotage their romantic getaway.

 _She had been pacing the room, expecting Marshall back and soon. If he wasn't, she would have to go back out there and interrupt the little reunion. She really hated Mary Shannon and really wanted Marshall to stop hanging out with her outside of work. She didn't even want them to be partners, let alone friends. Best-Friends._

 _"Well, not anymore. It's me or her, he has to pick one now. This is ridicu-"…she couldn't even finish her thought when Marshall ran back into the room._

 _He went straight to the closet and pulled his bag out._

 _"What are you doing?" she asked angrily. They were **not** leaving just because Mary had asked him to come back. _

_"I have an emergency," he didn't elaborate anything else._

 _"If you leave with her we're through!" she spat. She had had enough of Mary and her bossy nature._

 _Marshall stopped mid-packing and turned to her, "I have an emergency and you're telling me that I can't go? That I have to stay here and pretend that I don't have an emergency?"_

 _"Yes! I don't think it's too much to ask to stay here with me. It's time to grow up and choose Marshall; I'm not always going to be waiting on the sideline until your **precious** Mary lets you live your life. Why should I? All I do is wait for you to decide who you want in your life and I'm tired of waiting," she paced with her hands on her hips and stared angrily at him._

 _"I can't believe you're doing this right now. I have an **emergency Abigail!** " he said tersely._

 _"I guess that's my answer," she pulled her engagement off and hurled it at him, this would define their relationship. She was gambling with his love for her, she knew he loved her, but enough to tell Mary to go away and continue their romantic getaway?_

 _He shockingly stared at her and then slowly lowered his eyes to the ring. He took it and tossed it in his suitcase._

 _Abigail couldn't believe that he had just done that, he had chosen Mary once again. Damn him!_

 _Both jumped into their clothes, Abigail hadn't really unpacked much from her suitcase so she threw in her pajamas before strolling out of the hotel room._

 _She looked up and saw Mary was walking into the elevator, she hurried her pace so she could give that bitch a piece of her mind, the doors were gliding close when she jumped in._

 _"What the hell are you doing?" Mary asked confused._

 _Abigail glared at the older woman, "You know, I always knew you had a thing for Marshall. No don't worry, I didn't tell him and I won't tell him either. You know, you're so pathetic calling him like an obsessed ex-girlfriend. He actually had a chance to be happy, but you have to ruin everything."_

 _She didn't wait for a reply as the doors of the elevator finally opened to the lobby, she strolled towards the door, stopping only when she heard Mary._

 _"You're an idiot! I didn't come here for my own personal reasons, you really don't deserve to know, but I came because his mother got sick and his family couldn't locate him."_

 _She didn't think twice leaving her bag by the door and running back to the elevator, they easily opened and she jumped in, repeatedly pushing the number to her floor. Looked up as Mary crossed the lobby to the exit door and mouthed, **I'm so sorry**._

 _Marshall was waiting by the elevator doors._

 _"Marshall, I'm soooo s-s-orry!" she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his middle._

 _He put his hand on her shoulder and stepped back, "I have to go."_

 _"I know about your mom…"_

 _"Yeah, I figured." He stared down at her and shook his head, repeating, "I have to go."_

 _"I can come with you…"_

 _He walked into the elevator and shook his head, "I can't do this right now."_

 _"Please Marshall, I really want to be there with you. They're my family too," she pleaded as the elevator doors slid closed._

She sighed heavily and walked into the house. Marshall stood inside the house and looked at her. His expression very stoic, she walked to him and raised on her toes to kiss him, he moved and her lips landed on his cheek, she closed her eyes and stepped back.

"Hi"

"Hi"

"Did you just get in?" she asked as she stepped back, giving him space. She stared at his eyes, but he was guarded. He was on Marshal Marshall Mann mode.

"No, I got here earlier today. A few hours ago," he shrugged as he stepped away from her.

"Why didn't you call me? I could've picked you up from the airport," she asked patiently.

"I can find my own transportation," he shoved his hands into his pockets and waited.

"I assume you called Mary to come get you?" she asked accusatorily.

He shrugged, "Yes, that's always been your problem. You assume too much, thinking too little of me. Does it matter at this point?"

"Of course it matters! It's always Mary getting in the way of our relationship, you could've easily called me to come get you. Or did you forget I'm your fiancée?" her eyes flashed irately.

"Here we go, always throwing accusations without having any evidence to back it up. Mary has never been between our relationship, a relationship that if I recall correctly, being over. Or did **_you_** forget that you ended this relationship?" he wasn't about to back down, not anymore. The pansy ass Marshall Mann is over, he thought if he did as she asked that it would keep the peace in their relationship, but it was painfully obvious it was never going to happen.

Abigail stared at him and shook her head, "I didn't end anything! You chose her! You **_always_** choose her! Was I ever going to be your damn priority?"

"You were always my priority, I miss one damn appointment and you have my ass! Telling me that I have to cut back on my friendship with my best-friend, which you seem to have forgotten, I did," he ran his fingers through his hair. "This is getting us nowhere. You made it painfully clear it was over if I left with Mary that night."

"I was upset, okay? I have a right to be upset, it just seems like Mary has always been between us. I never thought I was the jealous type, I guess we both learned, huh?" she tried to lighten the mood, but she could see how she was stretching it. She wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"That's the thing, I learned that I can't be like that. I want things back to how they were before I asked Mary to give me space. I don't want that stupid space, I want to be able to go out for a drink or lunch or dinner with my best-friend," he clarified, things were over between them whether she agreed to his conditions or not.

"Honey britches, listen to me. I'll never ask you to change anything again, just promise me that your friendship with Mary will end, she's only holding you back from your potential," Abigail tried to negotiate.

Marshall looked at her stunned, "You amaze me. You still don't get it. Mary and I…how can you think you can dissolve 10 years of friendship? We've been partners…"

"But you're not partners anymore! When will you get that through your thick skull! She's not your partner anymore or ever again. She'll just be a lowly inspector and you will be her boss, that's it!" she was grasping at straws, trying to convince Marshall to see it her way.

He shook his head and chuckled drily, "You will never get it. You can't expect me to just throw away 10 years of friendship, basically kick my best friend to the curb. And to think I thought asking her for space would be enough for you."

"If you love me as much as you say, you would do it," she challenged.

"Are you even listening to yourself? If Mary had been a man, if my best friend was a typical male, would we still be having this discussion?" Marshall couldn't understand why Abigail was so against Mary.

Abigail looked at him, her eyes betrayed the lie that passed her lips, "Of course I would, if you spent every waking moment with the guy."

'You are aware that I can tell when I'm being lied to?" he stared at her in disbelief, had she lied before?

Abigail sat on the couch and leaned her head back, "I can't let you go back to always hanging out with her…"

"You can't _let_ me? I don't recall asking you. I'm telling you how things will be from now on, I don't need your permission," he stared incredulously at her.

"If we're getting married…"

"Married? Us? You decided for both of us that night…"

" ** _That night_** _!_ That stupid night that Mary ruined **everything**?" she snarled as she jumped up from the couch, standing toe to toe with him.

He spun away from her, needing space, "It always comes back to Mary with you, you just can't get over your…what is it? Hate? Disgust? What exactly do you have against Mary? It can't just be because of me, could it?"

"It's always been because of you. Everyone told me. They warned me that you already belonged to someone else. Everyone told me you were her lackey and I was stupid enough to think you had a mind of your own. But…I always thought I was the one, the one that could change it. You were a challenge that I lost. I don't think she deserves you," she closed her eyes and the tears fell down her cheeks.

"I was a challenge? I never thought I was a game piece, to move at your will," He stared at her and shrugged, "You can think whatever you want. I think that's all we needed to say to each other."

"Why her Marshall? Of all the women you dated and others that you crossed before and after her, why her?" she asked pleadingly. "Why would you toss our engagement, our relationship away like this?"

Marshall chuckled through clenched teeth, "I didn't do anything. You gave me one ultimatum too many. I wish I could give you an answer, but some things are better left without explanation."

"So that's it?" she looked at him resentfully.

He rubbed his face tiredly and he stood up, "Good bye Abigail."

She watched him go, tears coursing down her face, "Good bye Marshall."

Marshall stepped out and closed his eyes, tears rolled down his face. He never wanted things to end in tears, but he couldn't fight forever. Not over losing Mary Shannon.

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 **TBC...Some M &M time coming up...Please review. **


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